Aspidostemon grayi Van der Werff, 2006

Werff, Henk Van Der, 2006, A revision of the Malagasy endemic genus Aspidostemon Rohwer & Richter (Lauraceae), Adansonia (3) 28 (1), pp. 7-44 : 24

10. Aspidostemon grayi Van der Werff , sp. nov. ( Figs 6B ; 7A )

Aspidostemoni dolichocarpo simile, sed gemmis terminalibus pubescentibus, foliis tenuioribus reticulatione immersa recedit.

TYPUS. — Madagascar. Toliara, Andohahela, Réserve intégrale 11, 24°45’S, 46°51’E, 250-500 m, 17-20.X.1992, fl., Van der Werff, Malcomber, Gray & Rapanarivo 12747 (holo-, MO; iso-, HBG, K, P, QRS, TAN).

DESCRIPTION

Tree, 35 m. Twigs terete, glabrous, lenticellate, very young shoots densely pubescent; terminal buds densely pubescent. Leaves opposite, 9-13 × 2-3 cm, chartaceous to firmly chartaceous, glabrous, narrowly elliptic, the base acute to attenuate, apex acuminate, acumen to 1 cm long, the very tip not fully expanded, margin flat, reticulation immersed on both surfaces, lateral veins faintly visible and not possible to count accurately; petioles 8-12 mm long, flat above. Inflorescences 2-4 cm long, paniculate, densely tomentellous, the surface completely covered by the pubescence; pedicels 1-1.5 mm long, pubescent. Flowers 2 mm in diameter, more or less globose, gradually narrowed into the pedicel, tepals dark yellow tinged with red at the margin, stamens crimson red; tepals pubescent, about as long as wide, 1 mm long, erect; stamens 6, petaloid, the locelli large, introrse, staminodia III columnar, with a flattened apex, glabrous, free, at the base with 2 large glands and some curled hairs, staminodia IV stipitiform, pubescent, shorter than the staminodia III and covered by them, the tip acute; receptacle and pistil glabrous. Fruits unknown.

REMARKS

Aspidostemon grayi is similar to A. dolichocarpum and differences between the two species are discussed under the latter. Aspidostemon grayi is only known from the type collection ( Fig. 8 ); it is a large tree, 35 m tall and with a dbh of 130 cm. No vernacular name has been recorded.

ALTITUDINAL DISTRIBUTION

250-500 m.

PHENOLOGY

Flowers: October.

ETYMOLOGY

It is a pleasure to name this species after Bruce Gray, who found the tree and who is uncommonly skilful in spotting Lauraceae .

Figures

FIG. 6. — Species of Aspidostemon Rohwer & Richter: A, A. glandulosum Rohwer; B, A. grayi Van der Werff; C, A. humbertianum (Kosterm.) Rohwer; D, A. inconspicuum Rohwer. A, Service Forestier 16534, MO; B, Van der Werff et al. 12747, MO; C, Turk & Randrianasolo 583, MO; D, Service Forestier 12355, P.

FIG. 7. — Scanning electron microscope images of Aspidostemon Rohwer & Richter: A, A. grayi Van der Werff; B, A. humbertianum (Kosterm.) Rohwer; C, A. longipedicellatum Van der Werff; D, A. masoalense Van der Werff.A, Van der Werff et al. 12747, MO; B, Turk & Randrianasolo 583, MO; C, Van der Werff 12838, MO; D, Schatz & Modeste 3057, MO. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIG. 8. — Distribution of Aspidostemon Rohwer & Richter in Madagascar:■, A.glandulosum Rohwer;▲, A. grayi Van der Werff;Ϙ, A. humbertianum (Kosterm.) Rohwer; Ϙ, A. inconspicuum Rohwer.